Job info	Job info details
Job title	Assistant Accountant
Strategic team/Directorate	Finance
Service	Finance Business Partnering or Corporate Finance
Business unit	Finance Business Partnering or Corporate Finance
Responsible to (day to day issues)	Strategic Finance Lead / Principal Accountant / VAT Manager (Finance Business Partnering or Corporate Finance)
Accountable to (line manager)	Strategic Finance Lead (Finance Business Partnering or Corporate Finance)
Salary grade	G
JE ref	FIN115

1. Key purpose of job

• To work within Finance Business Partnering or Corporate Finance, assisting with the provision of efficient and effective financial, operational and administrative support to Strategic Finance Leads and budget holders within the Council. Council owned companies and schools. 
• To provide general financial advice, support and guidance to ensure services provided by the Council continue to be cost effective and provide value for money for residents.
• To assist with all of aspects of budget development, budgeting forecasting, internal and statutory financial management reporting and monitoring of expenditure and income.
• To support the Strategic Finance Leads and Principal Accountants and wider Finance team to provide a comprehensive finance service across the Council, its wholly owned companies and schools.

2. Anticipated outcomes of post

• Assistance is provided to ensure the financial performance of Council budgets is subject to effective and timely monitoring and reporting, underspends and overspends are identified and proactively managed.
• Accurate and timely financial advice, support and guidance is provided across the Council, its wholly owned companies and schools.
• Statutory, regulatory and Council deadlines in relation to the annual budget cycle, closure of accounts, grant claims, reporting and returns are consistently met and work is completed to the highest standard.
• The advice provided and work undertaken complies with Council Financial Regulations and Contract Procedures and accounting practice, ensuring achievement of value for money and meeting high standards of financial management, and control in the stewardship of public funds.
• Strategic Leads in Finance Business Partnering and Corporate Finance are supported to deliver a valued, effective and efficient financial service to Council budget holders, Council owned companies and schools.

3. List key duties and accountabilities of the post

• As an Employee of Torbay Council all roles are expected to work in a way that ensures vulnerable children and adults are safeguarded and report any safeguarding concerns in accordance with established policies and procedures. The Designated Senior Lead for Safeguarding is the Chief Executive and Director of Children’s Services.
• To provide day to day general advice and information on relevant financial matters to budget holders and finance staff, to aid the administration of VAT, income maximisation and cost recovery, including dedicated support for one or more specific directorates (e.g., Adult and Community Services, Children’s Services, Pride in Place, Public Health) or disciplines (e.g., revenue, capital, technical, treasury management, collection fund, VAT).
• To provide assistance to the Strategic Finance Leads in the yearly budget preparation cycle, including inputting and reconciliation of Collaborative Planning or other financial software applications and the Council’s budget digest for specific budgets or capital plan.
• To support the preparation and co-ordination of the Council’s revenue and capital budget monitoring process across all services, including assisting with the preparation of budget monitoring reports, outturn forecasting and a wide range of statistical data. Attending regular meetings with officers to discuss reports and financial year end projections for specific services and capital projects.
• To support Strategic Finance Leads and Principal Accountants with year-end close down, closure of accounts and preparation of the Statement of Accounts document, including assisting with drafting working papers for the audit of the Statement of Accounts by the external auditor and compilation of responses to queries as required.
• To assist colleagues with preparing regular Central Government statutory returns, such as Revenue Outturn form (RO) and Revenue Account form (RA), for review and finalisation by the relevant Strategic Finance Lead.
• To assist with the co-ordination and collation of information and data to enable the timely response to Freedom of Information requests, complaints and Member / MP enquiries, as required.
• To assist with the production of the Council's annual Budget Book which includes all council services using Collaborative Planning, Financial Management Information System (FIMS) and Access database and other financial software applications.
• To support with activities relating to the Council’s daily cash flow management and validation of payments through the Council’s finance system.
• To contribute on a variety of directorate or discipline specific activities, such as:
  • payment of adoption, special guardianship and residence order allowances, financial assessment of new recipients and annual assessment of all recipients. 
  • ensuring the timely and accurate recovery of income and grants from partners, including invoicing and completion of grant claims where appropriate. 
  • monitoring payments due to the Council from other local authorities, NHS trust, integrated care boards and other agencies as contributions to cost of care for children. 
  • budget preparation and closedown process for Council owned companies or schools. 
  • development and delivery of relevant training materials and information to support schools in meeting financial management standards. 

4. Budgetary/Financial Responsibilities of the post

• This post is part of the finance team providing a fully accountancy service to the Council, supporting spend of a net revenue budget (2025/26) of approximately £147m and a capital budget of approximately £110m.

5. Supervision/Line Management Responsibilities of the post

• None. 

6. Working environment and conditions of the post

• Normal working conditions. 

7. Physical demands of the post

• Normal physical demands. 

8. Specific resources used by the post

• Normal resources. 

9. Key contacts and relationships

External: 

• Central Government in particular Department Levelling Up Housing and Communities. 
• External Auditors. 
• Internal Auditors (Devon Audit Partnership). 
• Other Local Authorities. 
• Investment Brokers, other financial institutions and the Council’s Treasury Management advisors. 
• Key Suppliers. 
• Council owned companies.
• Schools. 
• NHS Foundation Trusts. 
• Integrated Care Board. 

Internal: 

• Service and Finance officers at all levels. 

10. Other duties

• To undertake additional duties as required, commensurate with the level of the job. 

Other Information

• All staff must commit to the Workplace Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Practice and Policy.
• Torbay Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and applicants must be willing to undergo the checks appropriate to the post applied for.
• The post holder is expected to work in a way that ensures vulnerable children and adults are safeguarded and report any safeguarding concerns in accordance with established policies and procedures. And are aware that the Chief Executive and the Director for Children’s Services are the Safeguarding Leads for the Council.
• This office base for this post is Tor Hill House but the post holder may be required to move their base to any other location within the Council at a future date.
• The post is eligible for hybrid working.
• You will be asked to complete a Criminal Records Self Declaration Form. Criminal convictions will only be taken into account when they are relevant to the post. You will only be asked to disclose ‘unspent’ convictions.
• The Council operates a Smoke-Free Policy and the post-holder is prohibited from smoking in any of the Council's buildings (including Council owned and Council leased buildings, but excluding designated areas in residential schemes), enclosed spaces within the curtilage of buildings, and Council vehicles. The Council does not permit smoking breaks within work time, however, in services where the flexi-scheme is in operation, employees may take reasonable break times outside of core hours, in accordance with flexi-time arrangements. Employees should follow the flexi-scheme procedure for agreeing time away from their duties in the normal manner with their immediate colleagues and line manager, with break start and finish times being recorded, as with any other break-time arrangement. 
• The post-holder is expected to familiarise themselves with and adhere to all relevant Council Policies and Procedures.
• The post-holder must comply with the Council’s Health and Safety requirements as outlined in the H&S policy appropriate to the role.
• The post-holder must be committed to the Council’s Core Values for employees – “Torbay Council employees are committed to being forward thinking, people orientated and adaptable - always with integrity”. Evidence will be sought during the probation and appraisal processes.
• If this post is customer facing, it will require the ability to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence and fluency in English.
• If you are required to access a government system such as HMRC, DWP or The Public services network (PSN) as part of your role with the Council you will be required to complete a basic disclose with your line manager before you can access these systems. Your manager will be required to complete a verification form that confirms your identity, nationality and immigration status, employment history and unspent convictions (third party).
• If you are required to use your own vehicle on Council business or drive a council vehicle you will be asked to provide information on any driving endorsements by accessing gov.uk/view-driving-licence and providing a code to your Line Manager in order to share your driving licence information with the Council.

Person Specification

Note for Candidate

All Candidates

The supporting statement on your application form will be used to assess ability to meet the essential requirements of the role, so you should explain how you meet each of the numbered essential requirements within your supporting statement. In a competitive situation, the desirable criteria may be taken into consideration, so you are encouraged to show how you also meet each of the desirable criteria.

Candidates who consider that they have a disability

Reasonable adjustments will be made to the job, job requirements or recruitment process for candidates with a disability.

If you consider yourself to have a disability you should indicate this on your application form, providing any information you would like us to take into account with regard to your disability in order to offer a fair selection interview.

Where ever possible and reasonable we will make adjustments and offer alternatives to help you through the application and selection process.

If you have indicated that you have a disability on your application form you will be guaranteed an interview if you clearly demonstrate in your supporting evidence how you broadly meet the essential requirements of the role.

Job info	Job info details
Job Title	Assistant Accountant
Strategic team/Directorate	Finance
Service	Finance Business Partnering or Corporate Finance
Business unit	Finance Business Partnering or Corporate Finance

Skills and effectiveness

Essential skills and effectiveness

• Effective interpersonal skills and the ability to work both independently, using own initiative and as part of a team.
• Ability to undertake a diverse workload and produce desired outcomes with deadlines, working with conflicting demands and priorities to meet deadlines.
• A flexible and adaptable communication style and able to communicate to a wider range of audiences.
• Ability to deal with confidential information in an appropriate manner.
• Ability to convey information accurately, simply and clearly in a manner which is easily understood.
• A high level of numeracy, literacy and IT skills.
• To be willing to learn and develop new skills.

Desirable skills and effectiveness

• Ability to build relationships with finance and non-finance staff.
• Ability to utilise financial models.
• Ability to develop innovative solutions to issues or problems and provide suggestions to improve service delivery.
• Ability to interpret and present complex financial information to others.
• Ability to balance the requirements of a number of projects simultaneously.

Knowledge

Essential knowledge

• Basic knowledge and understanding of accounting standards. 
• Basic knowledge and understanding closing annual accounts. 
• Basic knowledge and understanding setting and preparing budgets. 
• Basic knowledge and understanding book keeping of financial records. 
• Basic knowledge and understanding costing, cashflow management and forecasting. 

Desirable knowledge

• Understanding of local government accounting principles, procedures, guidance and sources of funding.
• Understanding of closing annual accounts in a local authority environment.
• Understanding of setting and preparing capital budgets.
• Understanding of the functions of Torbay Council FIMS finance system and procurement procedures or experience in similar systems.
• Understanding of procedures and requirements of public sector funding organisations.

Experience and achievements

Essential experience and achievements

• Experience of working within a financial/accountancy environment. 
• Experience of working with senior officers.
• Experience of working with information technology-based systems and PC based software. 
• High degree of personal integrity and Political sensitivity. 
• Experience of closing annual accounts. 
• Experience of setting and preparing budgets. 
• Experience of assisting with the preparation of reports and their presentation. 
• Experience of working effectively in a fast moving environment, responding to enquiries promptly. 
• Evidence of critically evaluating and explaining financial information. 

Desirable experience and achievements

• Experience of working within a local authority financial/accountancy environment. 
• Experience of working with finance systems, excel, access and word. 
• Experience of working with Business Intelligence and data visualisation tools. 

Qualifications/professional memberships

Essential qualifications/professional memberships

• AAT Technician (fully qualified member at level 3).
• Commitment to continuing professional development (CPD). 
• Educated to A level standard or equivalent. 

Desirable qualifications/professional memberships

• Other relevant Accountancy, Finance or Audit Qualifications. 

Other requirements

Other requirements of the job role

• Demonstrates a commitment to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people. 
• Ability to travel efficiently around the Bay/South West/UK in order to carry out duties. 
• Ability to accommodate occasional homeworking.